Love Strikes, Jealousy Grows, and Tragedy Follows:
by Ayara012
Summary: This is a few years after Chelsea arrives, so Vaughn and Cheslea are pretty good friends.  Or more... XD  I know this is a crappy summary, but please try the story.
1. Chapter 1

When Love Strikes, Jealousy Grows, and Tragedy Follows:

A/N- Hey Guys, I hope you like Velsea romance. And I'd better get some reviews, even if it's to be flamed! (Although I prefer constructive criticism.) This is based a few years after Chelsea arrives, so she & Vaughn are actually friends now. (Maybe more…XD)

Chelsea's P.O.V.

I was walking to the animal shop. I needed some fodder for my cows, sheep and horse. I and some chicken feed, don't forget the chickens. The bell rang as I opened the door. Vaughn was sitting down, sorting through some animal equipment.

"Hey Vaughn." I called. He tipped his hat.

"Hey." Julia walked in from the kitchen.

"You know, Chelsea, aside from me and mum, you're the only one Vaughn replies to when greeted." Vaughn grunted at that.

"That's 'cuz she's the only one of y'all that doesn't force me into a conversation." I smiled.

"Julia, is Mirabelle in? I need some fodder and feed."

"Right here, dear." Mirabelle said as she stood up from behind the counter. I handed her the G, and she placed the fodder & feed on the counter. "Vaughn, help her carry this, would you?" Vaughn got up and took the feed.

"Come on, Chelsea." I blushed, and we walked out, carrying the animal food. When we got to my barn, we stored the feed in the dispenser, and I started putting some of the fodder into the feed bins. I turned around, and was surprised to see Vaughn doing the same. I stopped for a moment, staring. Vaughn looked up.

"Are you going to feed the animals, or not?"

"Oh, I was j-just uh, surprised that you where willingly helping me..." I started slightly.

"Err, well, you're just getting over a cold, so I figured I would help out a little." He blushed, and tugged his hat down to cover his beautiful amethyst eyes. We finished placing the fodder, and moved onto feeding the chickens. We sat in the middle of a group of them, feeding them by hand.

At one point, when Vaughn wasn't looking, I put a little bit of feed on the rim of Vaughn's hat. When he turned to face me, a chicken jumped at his hat, knocking him onto his back, where he promptly was sat on bythe chicken. I doubled over, laughing.

My reward was a sarcastic-"What a comedian your chicken is."-which sent me laughing even harder. Later, when we were done work, we sat outside under my apple tree. I looked around at the trees while I munched on an apple.

'The trees are so full of color. They're beautiful!' I though to myself.

"Hey, Vaughn?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your favorite season?" I looked at him, waiting for his answer.

"Winter. The ground is frosty, the air is cool, and no one stops to chat." At this, I frowned.

"That's not a very social comment." He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"And you were expecting what…?" I sighed, and rolled my eyes. He grinned. "Oh, and one more reason… I love the color of the winter sky. It's a beautiful icy blue. Just like a certain person's eyes." He glanced at me, smirking. I blinked, and could feel myself blushing.

"Hey, Vaughn….?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?"

"…No. I was just going to eat at the diner again."

"Do…do you mind if I keep you company?" He glanced sideways at me.

"What happens if I say yes?" I pouted.

"You're stuck with me anyway." He gave me one of his mischievous smiles.

"Alright then. Since it seems I have no choice…" He turned away, pulling down his hat. "I'd be happy to have you join me for dinner tonight." I blushed even more, and I'm SURE he was blushing too.

"I'll pick you up here." He mumbled. I just nodded. At this point, we were both blushing a deep red. Then, with perfect timing, my dog, brownie, leaped between us and began thoroughly kissing (licking) us. The tension evaporated. "Hey there girl." Vaughn rubbed brownies head, and got a licked nose for his effort. I laughed.

"Vaughn… you're expression is priceless!" He raised an eyebrow.

"Fine then. Here." He then gently shoved Brownie onto my lap. "Hey!" I pouted. And, of course, retaliated. _A/N-Anyone want to guess how? Hmmm? Hmmmmmmmm? Back to story_.

I moved Brownie off my lap, and stole Vaughn's hat, running off with it.

Vaughn's P.O.V.  
>"Hey! Come back here!" Give me my hat back!" I scrambled up, chasing after Chelsea. She ran back down the oath leading to the rest of town. "Give me my hat back!" I yelled.<p>

"You've gotta catch me first, Cowboy!" We passed over the bridge, and Chelsea kept going, aiming towards the beach. "Come on, Cowboy! You can go faster than that!" I tried to go faster, but I'm more used to chasing animals than humans…

"Give me my hat back, Damn it!" We ran past the dock, and Chelsea splashed into the water, holding my hat high above her head. I chased after her, gaining as her as she struggled through the water, which was already up to her waist. I quickly caught up to her. She was still holding my hat high above her head, at arm's reach.

She was still trying to run, but had slowed down severely, due to the fact that the water was up to her stomach, while it was only up to my waist. I reached out, trying to snatch my hat from her grasp. Unfortunately, I missed. "Damnit…..." I grit my teeth and tackled Chelsea, knocking her into the water. She dropped my hat, and briefly sank beneath the waves. I quickly pulled her back up, at the same time grabbing my hat off the surface of the water and putting back on top of my head, out of reach.

"V-Vaughn!" Chelsea spluttered through a mouthful of water.

"Sorry. But you had my hat." Chelsea pouted.

"Party pooper." I raised an eyebrow.

"If I'm such a party Pooper, then why do you want to go to the diner with me?" Chelsea stretched up onto her tiptoes. I leaned down, thinking she wanted to tell me something. Instead, she did something that totally surprised me.

She kissed me. Wha-?

Chelsea's P.O.V.  
>I don't know what drove me to do it. I just kissed him. His eyes widened, but he didn't pull away. So we stood there in the water for a moment, kissing. Then we broke apart.<p>

"That's why." I said simply. Vaughn looked at me, and for once he wasn't wearing his expressionless mask. I could see that he was confused, but not unhappy. In fact, he was almost smiling. And this is Vaughn we're talking about. Then, he pulled his newly recovered hat down, covering his expressions.

"You'd best go get ready for diner." He told me. I smiled. "6 o'clock. Don't be late, Cowboy." He tipped his hat back up, and this time I saw a smile as he started to wade back to shore. "I wouldn't miss it."

-End Flashback-

"Chelsea, yoo-hoo!" Julia was waving her hand in front of my face.

"Oh…..Sorry Julia…." I muttered. She looked at me sadly.

"It's okay. I know you have a good reason for being…distracted right now." Yeah. I'd say it was a very good reason.

I'd probably never see Vaughn ever again.

_A/N:CLIFFIE!Tee-hee im evil. dont worry, ill update soon. but i need reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is dedicated to swingdancer23, the first person to ever Story Alert/Favorite one of my stories. THANK YOU SO MUCH! That means so much to me. Thank you. Now, on to the story!

Chelsea's P.O.V.

I sat there while Julia made me lunch. I was thinking back to that horrible night, just over a month ago… The night I would never forget.

-Flashback-

When I got home, I took a quick shower, brushed my hair, changed into a long, ruby red dress, and slipped on my bandanna. When I finished, I glanced at my watch. 5:30. I grabbed the G I would need, and sat down with a book to wait. 15 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I set my down book, and got up to open the door.

Vaughn's P.O.V.

Chelsea opened the door. She was wearing a long, red dress, and no makeup. _'Good. She doesn't need it.'_

"You're early." She greeted me. I grunted. My usual response. "So? Better early then late." She smiled.

"Yep. You ready, Cowboy?" I nodded. "Come on, then." She stepped outside, closing the door behind her. We walked down through town and headed towards the diner. When we got there, and Chelsea let me pick the table. I instinctively headed for the lone table in the corner, but then stopped.

'_I always sit in the corner, but…...Chelsea likes to be around people so much more. She always sits out in the open.'_I glanced over. The more open part of the diner was full of people. Just the kind of place I try to avoid. I grimaced, and was about to turn to pick out a table over there, when I heard a whisper.

"I let you pick out the table for a reason, you know. It's so we can sit where YOU want." I glanced behind me. Chelsea was smiling. I raised an eyebrow, and smiled.'Course, I didn't let her see that. We headed over and sat down to decide what we wanted.

Chelsea's P.O.V.

Vaughn can be so adorable sometimes. I saw him grimace when he decided to take a spot where I would be comfortable. _'Nice thought, but I cope better than you, Vaughn. It's better to pick a place you're happy in, and I'll adjust. '_

"Miso soup please." I told Nick when he came over.

"Cold porridge." Vaughn growled. I glared at him. "Please." He muttered reluctantly. Nick looked surprised.

"Alright then, you're food will be ready in about 10 minutes." He walked back to his kitchen, out of sight. Vaughn pulled down the edge of his hat.

"I don't see why I have to say 'please'" he muttered.

"Because it's polite. And social." He looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Since when am I polite? Or, for that matter, social? Everyone knows I'm the exact opposite." I smiled my most mischievous smile.

"I plan to change that." He rolled his eyes.

"Mhhm. Have fun with that." After a few more minutes, our food came.

"Here you go. One Miso Soup and one Cold Porridge." I picked out a carrot slice onto my spoon. Vaughn noticed the movement and glanced up.

"No." He growled, before I even managed to ask.

"Vaughn…" I sighed

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"It's good for you."

"No."

"You sound like a little kid."

"No."

"You're an adult. Adults eat thing even when they don't like them."

"No."

"Please?"

"NO! I am not eating that stupid carrot!"

"*sigh*Fine…." I gave in, defeated. I let Vaughn go back to eating his porridge. "But I'm going to make you eat one eventually." "Never." (1) I smiled, but made sure he couldn't see. I then popped my failed attempt into my mouth. As I went back to eating, I saw movement from outside the window.

"Ummm, Vaughn?" I said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I...I think Sabrina's following us again…." He sighed and started to get up.

"I'll deal with it." He said walking away.

"No, you don't have to…" I began. He kept walking towards the door, and called over his shoulder.

"Would you prefer if I let her keep following us all night?"

"Well, no, but-"he stopped at the door.

"No buts. I'll be right back," He went out, closing the door behind him. I sighed, resigned to waiting for Vaughn.

Vaughn's P.O.V.

As I closed the door behind me, I looked around for Sabrina.

"Alright, Where are you?" Her head popped out of the bushes near the window.

"Oh! Vaughn!" She jumped up and hugged me. "Have you finally realized you belong with me?" She looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. I shoved her away.

"Don't touch me." I growled. "I just came out here to tell you to buzz. Off. Quit following us. Get it? Go away!" She ran at me, again trying to hug me.

"Stop saying those cruel things! She's brainwashed you! You should love me!"

"Why would I want to love a stalker like you?" I snapped. She stopped trying to hug me. I turned on my heel and went back inside.

Sabrina's P.O.V.

'_*Sniff* Why doesn't he love me? He should love me! I'm rich, my daddy is powerful, and I'm smart and cute!_I_am the only one he can be happy with!'_

"Stop saying these cruel things! She's brainwashed you! You should love me!" _'That bitch, tricking MY Vaughn. She probably got a love potion from the witch princess…'_I ran up, trying to hug Vaughn and keep him from going back inside to HER.

"Why would I want to love a stalker like you?" Vaughn snapped at me. I stopped in my tracks. _'Stalker? I am not a stalker! I'm just trying to make you see what a huge mistake you're making, that you should love ME, not HER.'_I looked up at Vaughn as he walked back inside, and I noticed something sticking out of his vest pocket. I gasped! No! He couldn't! Then I grinned. There was a simple way to stop Vaughn giving her THAT. I just needed to get rid of her.

Chelsea's P.O.V.

Vaughn came back in, looking irritated. (2) I frowned. "No being irritated during dinner!" I teased. He looked at me, and then smirked.

"Then shouldn't YOU get rid of that irritated frown?" I pouted at him, crossing my arms. Then I smiled.

"So, is she gone now?" He nodded.

"Yeah. I sent her off." He glanced over his shoulder.

"She's insane. She's still obsessed over me." He looked back at me. "And she still hates you." I shrugged.

"There are people who don't like me, no matter how hard I try. Now sit down, or your porridge will get warm." I giggled. Vaughn glanced at me.

"What?" I stifled my giggles, and tried to answer.

"Sorry, it just seems weird to be saying that your food will get warm, instead of your food will get cold." Vaughn sat down and shrugged.

"You would say it for ice cream." I shrugged.

"It just seemed silly. Now eat, or I'll put a carrot in your porridge." He (quickly) went back to eating. I watched him for a second, and then smiled, following suite.

-End Flashback-

"Here you go, Chels." Julia said softly, as she set lunch in front of me. I slowly started eating. "Chels…" I looked up as Julia started talking. "Chels, it-it was a month ago. I know you're worried, but he'll come back. And-"

"How?" I asked quietly. She cut off. "How can he come back? After what happened, how? Tell me that, please!"

"I-I don't know. I don't know how. But you need to get back to your life!" I slumped down and went back to eating. Then I paused.

"But….It was my fault." Julia glared.

"No, it was that bitch Sabrina's fault!" I went back to eating, deep in thought. I finished quickly, and then hopped up from my seat, a fake smile plastered on my face.

"Alright! I'm gonna go take care of my crops and animals! See you later!" I ran out the door, closing it behind me. I headed up towards my farm, running until I got to the bridge. There, my smile melted. As I walked, I thought back. _'It was my fault…She was aiming for me…'_ _

(1)- Doesn't this argument sound like a child and it's mother?

(2)- Well, more than usual.

R&R!

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VTheV

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	3. Chapter 3

**Why exactly is no one shocked by the implications? U all sound like u just wanna know more, u don't mind that Vaughn's gone. XD fail, jk, jk. Srry, on to the story.**

-Flashback-

We finished eating, and got ready to leave.

"Hey, Chelsea. There's someplace I wanna show you. You wanna come see it?" I smiled, nodding.

"_Alone time with Vaughn! Yay! He's always so nervous around other people. (Although he passes it off as a 'tough guy' act.)" _

"C'mon." He motioned for me to follow, and headed out, aiming towards the bridge to the forest. I quickly followed.

"Hey, Cowboy." He glanced over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" I smiled.

"I just noticed. You're not wearing your hat." I wasn't sure, but I think he blushed.

"Well, uh, I figured I shouldn't wear it…" I took a second to look over Vaughn's attire. He was wearing a white blouse, and his black dress pants. His usual boots, although they looked as if he had cleaned them. He was missing his "USI" belt buckle and his hat.

"You're dressed up" I said, with mild surprise. "I've never seen you dressed up before. Not even for festivals." I grinned and passed him, walking backwards to face him. "Am I that special, Mr. Cowboy?" I teased him. He just raised an eyebrow at me.

"Careful, or you'll trip." He stopped, and something furry brushed against my leg. Needless to say, I jumped about a foot in the air, landing on my butt, facing the opposite direction. Vaughn chuckled from behind me. I whipped around, glaring at him.

"It's not funny." He smirked.

"Of course not." I frowned. Then whipped back around as said fuzzy thing rubbed against my leg again.

"Oh… It's just a wild dog." I heard poorly suppressed chuckling from behind me. "Hey there…-Shut up, Vaughn-That's a good doggie…" I slowly reached out, letting the dog sniff my hand before I began slowly petting it. "There you go… good puppy." Vaughn walked up from behind me.

"That's not exactly what I'd call a puppy." I kept petting the wild dog. At the same time turning to raise an eyebrow at Vaughn.

"This coming from the Cowboy, who lectures Julia when she screams, because of the wild dogs." He glanced at me, a smirk on his face.

"That's because there's no reason to scream." He reached down to help me up. "Which is a fact YOU know quite well," I took his hand and stood up, brushing the dirt off the back of my dress.

"Did I scream? No," I turned, petting the wild dog once more, then straightened up, turning back to Vaughn. "Well, Cowboy, let's keep going. Lead the way." He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you certainly recover quickly." I matched his look. "You leading, or am I going to have to find this place on my own?" He rolled his eyes, and-taking me by the hand-walked off into the forest. This time, I kept pace, walking next to him, hand-in-hand. "Vaughn, where are we going anyway?" I asked him. He glanced sideways at me and smirked.

"You'll see. It's someplace I found when I was out here with the dogs one day. I thought you might like it." I knew what he was talking about. Vaughn spends so much time her in the forest, he probably knows it just as well as Shea or Wada. I pouted.

"It's not very nice to keep me in the dark." He smirked, and pulled his flashlight off his belt, (3) briefly shining it at my face.

"I'm not. There's plenty of light." I pushed the flashlight down and gave him "The Look." (4)

"You're hysterical, oh ye of quick wit." (5) He smirked, again. "Wipe that grin off your face." He didn't. In fact, I'm sure his smirk got bigger.

"Well, Mrs. Medieval, we're almost there." I looked ahead.

"I don't see anything…" He glanced at me.

"You will."

"What do you me-" I cut off as my jaw dropped. "Wooooaaahhh." I said, in a very non-medieval way. "It's beautiful!"

We had walked into a small clearing in the forest. The mountain was off to the side, and the ground dropped away in a steep cliff. The trees here were tall and mature, towering over us, and the cliff was dotted with precious and semi-precious stones. The water below was a calming sea-green, with the full moon reflecting off it, lighting up the night. I looked around, gazing at the beautiful, colorful view around all around me.

"Vaughn, look! There's amethyst!" I ran forward towards the cliff. There I picked up a beautiful, smooth stone. I turned back to Vaughn as he walked up to where I stood. I held up the stone, right at his eye level. "It matches your eyes perfectly." I smiled, sliding a few hair bands off my wrist. (6) I quickly knotted them together, as Vaughn watched, puzzled. Next, I knotted the makeshift string around the semi-precious stone in my hand. I looked up, and-before Vaughn could react-reached up and tyed the hair bands behind his neck. He looked down, lifting the jewel on the newly-made necklace.

"We can find some string to make it better it when we get back." He was blushing a deep red. I smiled. "I know, you probably don't want to wear a necklace. It's too girly, right?" He blushed even deeper red, if that was possible.

"No, ah, uh, I'll wear it just as it is. After all, you made it just perfect." He looked up at me and gave me one of his rare, real smiles. "And now, I've got something for you. Turn around and close your eyes." I did as he said, gazing at the beautiful scene for just a moment before closing my eyes. I felt him lean over my shoulders, holding something out in front of me, resting his chin on the top of my head. "Open." He said quietly. I slowly opened my eyes, not knowing what to expect, and was met with a dream. This beautiful scene, framing the best gift in the world.

A blue feather.

"oh…" For a second, that was all I could say. I was breathless. I slowly reached out, fingering the edge of this soft, blue object. The one I craved so much. "A blue feather…" I could barely speak. He loved me enough to give me this, the one thing that any girl wished for? I felt him tense. I realized I still hadn't given him a proper response.

"Do…do you not want it?" He asked his voice soft. I'd never heard him sound so disappointed. I wrapped my hands around his, holding them gently. "No, Vaughn. I love it. I acce-"

"Chelsea, MOVE!" He yelled, shoving me sideways. I fell, confused. I didn't know what was happening. If only I hadn't been able to see what followed…

I saw Sabrina, running toward where I had been standing moments before. I saw Vaughn, now directly in her path. I saw the insane look on her face, her small glasses now crooked, her pale purple dress torn and muddy, her normally beautiful black hair now tangled and matted. I saw how her purple bow had lost its crisp perfection. I saw, by the light of the formally beautiful full moon, as she rammed into Vaughn, her momentum taking both of them straight over the edge of cliff.

Falling.

"VAUGHN!" I screamed, scrambling, crawling to the edge, not caring as my dress tore, as my shoe slipped off. I looked down over the edge, searching for the silver mess of hair, or those deep, amethyst eyes. They were gone.

(3)- He may be dressed up, but he still has his equipment.

(4)- Girls, you know what I'm talking about. XD

(5)- Thanks for the quote, dragoscilvio!

(6)- We all carry 'em, don't we girls?


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, guys? I've decided. If any of you have any ideas for the story, send them to me! I'm not promising anything, but I'll note them and-if they fit into the plot-I'll use them. So feel free! Now, on to the story.

Vaughn's P.O.V.

She wasn't answering. Why did I ask her? It's not like anyone would have feelings for me. Not even someone as kind as Chelsea. Why did I ask her? It will just ruin the one friendly relationship I have… I swallowed, and decided to get it over with. "Do...do you not want it?"

She wrapped her hands around mine, beginning to say something, but I wasn't listening. I had heard something behind us, and was concentrating, trying to figure out what had caused it. When I did, there was no time to lose. I needed to act, and fast. "Chelsea," I cut her off, "MOVE!" I pushed her off to the side, and started to turn to face the other direction. Just as I began to move, Sabrina-the one who had caused the noise-crashed into me, knocking us both backwards, and off the edge. I saw Chelsea leaning over, screaming something, but I couldn't hear. "I'm sorry Chelsea." I whispered. "I love you." I hit the water, and everything went black.

Chelsea's P.O.V.

There was nothing left. Just ripples. The sea-green water that I had earlier thought was so beautiful was now terrible. It was perfectly calm. Vaughn was gone. I sat there, on my hands and knees, staring over the edge. Then, I saw it. The blue feather he had tried to give me, drifting slowly down. I reached out, snatching it before it could follow Vaughn and disappear. This… _"I will never let this out of my sight. I have to tell him..._ I have to tell him I accept. I mean, he'll come back…right?" I sat there, and felt a tear trickle down my cheek. "I need to wait until he gets back. I just need to wait. He'll be back." So I sat there, in my torn dress, missing a shoe, and staring over the edge, watching for some sign that he was okay, that he would come back. Deep down, I knew it would never come. "He'll be back," I hiccuped. Trying to reassure myself, repeating the same phrase again, and again. "He'll be back. I know it. He'll come back. He wouldn't leave me…right…?"

Julia's P.O.V.

"Mom," I asked" have you seen Chelsea? I know she went out with Vaughn, but they've been gone for an awful long time… " Mom (7) looked up from doing dishes. "I'm sorry dear. I haven't seen either of them since Vaughn left earlier. I'm sure they are fine. They can take care of themselves." I glanced out the window. The moon was already sinking towards the ocean. _"I hope mom's right. Still…" I bit my lip "I have a bad feeling about this." _

-10:00 A.M. The next day-

I was crossing the bridge back from Chelsea's ranch. She still wasn't back. I saw Natalie outside her house, talking with Pierre. "Guys, have either of you seen Chelsea? I haven't seen her, she's not at her house, and Vaughn didn't show up this morning." Pierre looked surprised. Natalie fingered a new bracelet, thinking.

"Vaughn not showing up for work? That's a first." I glared.

"Pierre, I really don't care if it's a first, I'm worried about my best friend and cousin!" Pierre shrunk back some.

"Alright. Alright. I was just saying…"

"Have you seen them or not?"

"No, sorry." I switched my gaze away from the blond-haired purple penguin (8), and instead looked to Natalie.

"What about you, Nat?"

"Don't call me Nat." She replied automatically.

"Did you see them?"

"Hmmm… oh yeah! I did! They were going to the diner last night for their little date. You should go ask Nick if he's knows where they are." I sighed. Well, it was a clue, at least.

"Thanks, Nat!" I called over my shoulder as I turned and started towards the diner.

"Don't call me Nat!" I ran quickly over to the Diner, passing Elliot along the way. I was tempted to ask him if he'd seen Vaughn or Chelsea, but then I'd be running the risk of getting distracted from my search. I slowed as I got to the Diner.

"Nick?" I called, simply poking my head in through the window.

"Yes?" Nick appeared, leaning out of the kitchen.

"Have you seen Vaughn or Chelsea since they left the Diner last night?"

Nick thought for a minute, and then shook his head. "No, sorry." I ground my teeth.

"_Well, that didn't help."_

"Alright then, do you know where they went after they left yesterday?" Nick paused again, thinking.

"Well, not specifically, but I know they went to the forest." I mentally face palmed. Of course, the forest! They both love it there.

"_How the heck am I supposed to find them in the forest? Vaughn knows it like the back of his hand, and Chelsea almost as well. They know it better than anyone! Except maybe the natives… Of course! The natives!... I feel dumb…" _I grinned at Nick.

"Thanks! See you later!" I turned and ran towards the bridge the forest.

"Wait-aren't you going to buy something?"

"Later!" (9) I ran quickly, but not as fast as I could. After all, I won't be able to find the natives if I'm gasping for breath, will I? As I got to the bridge, I slowed my pace. _"Now, where would that younger native-what was his name? Oh yes, Shea-be? I need to find him quickly…" _(10) I looked around at the edge of the forest. "Hello? Shea? Anyone?" I called. No answer.

"_Ugh. I was hoping to avoid actually going INTO the forest, but…I guess not." _I slowly trudged into the underbrush at the edge, constantly keeping a hand on a nearby tree for balance. _"Ick….is that poison ivy?" _ As I kept going forward, it got darker under the trees. _"I should try again…" _

"Hello? Shea? Natives? Anyone?" Again, no answer. But this time I heard a rustling in the bushes just a little ahead of me. _"Oh no…Maybe it's a bear! Vaughn's always lecturing me about how wild animals are 'more afraid of you then you are of them' but I don't believe it. I mean, why would a dangerous wild animal be afraid of me?" _I gulped, staring intently into the bushes that had rustled. _"Will it attack me? What should I do? Should I run? Climb a tree? Play dead? Should I-" _Shea popped his head out of the bushes.

"You need Shea?" I nodded, sighing in relief.

"Yes. Shea, Vaughn and Chelsea came in here yesterday, and today no one's seen them. Do you know where they are?" Shea looked puzzled for a few seconds, and then asked "Vaughn? Chelsea? You mean Cow-man and Crop-girl?" _"Cow-man and Crop-girl? Wooooooow." _

"Um, yeah. Cow-man and Crop-girl. Do you know where they are?" She smiled, nodding

"Yep! Crop-girl this way!" He disappeared into the pushes, and I had to rush to catch up. "Hey, wait up! Don't go so fast! I can't keep up!" I scrambled along, following Shea deeper into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Shea glanced back over his shoulder.

"Cow-man place. He spends much time there. He bring Crop-girl last night." _"Yeah, that sounds like Vaughn. A secret little place hidden out in the woods, with no one knowing where." _Chelsea would love it, and Vaughn knows that. _"'Course, that makes it that much harder to find them when they disappear." _ Shea-in front of me- stopped. It took a minute for me to catch up, and then I asked

"Why are we stopping?" Shea looked out in front, and pointed. "Crop-girl just ahead." I sighed in relief for a moment, then what he said, sunk in. "Just Chels-err, Crop-girl? What about Cow-man?" Shea looked at me and blinked. "Cow-man gone. So is Quiet-girl." _"Gone? What's he mean? Vaughn wouldn't just leave Chelsea in the woods. And who's Quiet-girl?" _ I shrugged. No use standing around wondering. I started forward, watching my feet carefully to avoid tripping. I looked up as the brush around my legs disappeared, and I came to a clearing. I started looking around, and saw Chelsea, crouched by the edge of a nearby cliff. "Chelsea?" I called quietly. She stiffened, and then turned to look at me. I could already see something was wrong. I ran up, kneeling beside my best friend. The look on her face was…

(7)-FYI, Mirabelle is Julia's mom and Vaughn's Aunt. And Julia and Vaughn are cousins, obviously.

(8)-I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.

(9)- Poor Nick.

(10)-Sorry, but I figured that since Julia and Shea don't interact much, they wouldn't be very familiar.

_A/N-ik, ik, u guys probably hate me for this. But do not fret! Tragedy does not last forever. And I am working on typing faster, to make up for how long the gap was between chappie 2 and 3.

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	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so I know you all absolutely hate me right now. I've had stuff written for FOREVER, but I haven't typed it. :/

So, I know you hate me, feel free to flame about it (Although if you could at least include a comment about the chapter?), but just don't kill me. Cuz then I can't finish the story.

I can't even describe it.

"Chelsea, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Then something occurred to me.

"Where's Vaughn?" (11)

Chelsea didn't say anything. She just looked at me, with a look in her eyes that made her look almost… broken. "Chelsea, are you alright? Please, say something!" Again, she just looked at me. But this time, I thought I heard something. "Chelsea, please…."

"I'm fine."

I started. She'd said it so quietly, I'd barely heard it. "Are you sure? You're not hurt or anything?"

I finally took the time to look her over. She didn't look hurt, but she didn't look 'fine' either. Her dress was badly torn, her hair was messed up, and she was missing a shoe.

"I'm fine." Again, it was so quiet that I almost missed it. "Well, if you say so… but where's Vaughn?  
>She just sat there for a minute, looking at me. Then-finally-she said, very quietly,<p>

"Gone."

"Gone? What do you mean? He didn't leave you here, did he? If he did, I'll kill him!" She slowly shook her head.

"Gone."

"It's your fault, you know." The voice came from behind us. I jerked up, looking around. "Sabrina?" I gasped. I barely recognized her. She was wearing her usual outfit, but it was practically destroyed. Her purple dress was torn and muddy, her bow was half-untied, her glasses were bent and crooked, and her hair was tangled and matted. To top it all off, she was soaking wet.

"It's your fault." She repeated. "He pushed you out of the way so I hit him instead! It's your fault!" She yelled the last part, stamping her foot. Chelsea just sat there.

"I know." She whispered. "I know. It's my fault. He's gone. And I couldn't even tell him…" She trailed off, and I noticed her hand tighten around something. She pulled it out of her hand, and tucked it under her bandanna, behind her ear. I gasped.

"Chelsea, did-did Vaughn give you that?" Chelsea finished adjusting the blue feather, and then put her hands in her lap, speaking in the same quiet tone as earlier.

"Yes. He did. But I didn't get to tell him yes."

"No! No! You can't say yes! He's mine! MINE!" Sabrina was shouting and stamping, and basically acting like the spoiled little brat she is. "Chelsea, where's Vaughn?"

She looked at the cliff edge sadly. "Gone."

"Gone where? Chelsea, please, where is he?" She just kept looking at the cliff.

"Gone. He's gone. I'll keep waiting though. I need to tell him yes. I need to tell him I accept."

Sabrina stomped forward. "No! No you don't! You don't get to tell him that! He's mine! Stay away from him!" With this latest tantrum, Sabrina charged forward, headed towards Chelsea.

"_Wha-? What is Sabrina doing? Oh gods! Is she trying to knock Chelsea over the edge?"_

I leaned forward, tackling Chelsea to the ground. Sabrina tripped over us, slamming down into the ground next to us. I grabbed Chelsea by the arm and scrambled backwards, away from Sabrina.

"What the hell are you doing? You could've killed her!" Sabrina staggered up, glaring at me.

"Why'd you move her? You're protecting the reason my Vaughnie is gone." I glared back, and stood up in front of Chelsea.

"What are you talking about? Chelsea's the reason my dumb, cowboy of a cousin acts like a regular human being!"

Sabrina smiled. But it wasn't a nice smile. It was an "I know something you don't, and I think I'm right." Smile.

"Oh? I bet you I could've made him even happier, WITHOUT getting him knocked over a cliff."

I started. "Knocked over a-what the hell are you talking about?" I felt a hand tug at the bottom of my jeans. I looked down.

"Chelsea, what is she talking about?" She looked up at me, with the sad look again.

"He protected me. He protected me. Sabrina was going to knock me off the cliff, but he protected me. He protected me. And now he's gone."

Sabrina piped up again. "That's right! My Vaughnie's gone, and it's your fault!"

Chelsea reached up, touching the feather now tucked behind her ear and under her bandana. "I know. It's true."

She sat there, with such a sad look on her face.

"I need to wait until he comes back, so I can tell him. He never heard my answer. I need to wait until he comes back…." I lifted Chelsea up by the arm, and she didn't resist.

"Chelsea, you can't stay here. You need to go home and rest." As I said this, she tried to pull away.

"No, I have to wait! Sabrina made it back, so will Vaughn!" I looked at her sadly. No matter how much I want to deny it, if she hadn't seen him by now… Well, the chances of him coming back were pretty slim.

"Chelsea, you can wait for him back at your house, alright? I'm sure that's the first place he'll go if he shows up.

She looked at me.

"When." "Huh?" "When. You said 'if', but it's 'when'." I looked at her.

"_Maybe she's in shock or something…" _

"Uh, sure….When. Now, come on. You need to rest." I took her hand, and gently began leading her back towards town. When I got to the edge of the clearing with her, I turned.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Sabrina. You caused all this, and there will be consequences."

She just glared. "You can't do anything. My daddy's richer than the rest of this island combined!"

I glared right back, and straightened up.

"Money won't buy everything, you know. It can't buy love. And it can't buy you a way out of jail."

She kept glaring, hands on her hips. "There's bail."

I gave her "the look."

"Uh-huh. And you think they post bail for mu-"I glanced at Chelsea. Now probably wasn't a good time to point out the odds. "-ATTEMPTED murder?"

At this, Sabrina backed down a little. "I had a perfectly good reason! She stole my Vaughnie!"

I was about to reply with something sarcastic, when I heard Chelsea call quietly-

"Hello, Shea."

I gave Sabrina one last good glare, then turned back to my shocked friend. Chelsea was facing Shea, talking quietly.

"Hello, Rancher-girl. Where's Cow-man?" MY eyes bugged out, and I started motioning to Shea-from behind Chelsea, of course-to shut up. "Va- Cow-man's gone. But he'll be back."

Shea grinned. "Oh, okay! Shea glad!"

Chelsea gave Shea a sad smile, and he headed off into the forest again. I took her hand again, and we worked our way out of the forest. After a few more minutes, we finally got back to town. Chelsea was just sort of following me listlessly, not walking on her own. I looked at her for a moment, then pulled her towards my house. She didn't complain. She just sort of watched.

I got to the door and swung it open. My mom was over by the counter, and looked up as we came in.

"Oh, you're back! Is Vaughn with you-" She cut off when she saw Chelsea. I could see she wanted to ask, but I shook my head just ever so slightly.

"I'll go get a blanket and some of your old clothes." She walked quickly off, and I led Chelsea over to the table and sat her down.

"Chelsea, would you like something to eat…?" I looked at her, but she didn't reply. She just looked at her hands, looked at the table. I walked over to the kitchen to start to make something for her.

"Look, you should sleep here tonight. It's dark out, and we don't know what Sabrina will try. Until she's in jail, she could keep attacking you. Chelsea-"

I turned around to look at her, with some simple chicken noodle soup ready for her. I was met by quiet, slow breathing.

"Aaaaaaand she's asleep. That's probably a good thing, though. I'll just save this for when she wakes up."

-End Flashback-

Chelsea's P.O.V.

I got to the door of my house, and went in quickly, locking the door behind me. I checked to make sure Vaighn's hat was on the table where I left it, as I had been doing for the past month. His hat… "I still don't know why they gave it to ME. I mean, he's assumed…assumed….assumed dead, so…they started giving out his stuff….But shouldn't it go to Mirabelle and Julia…?"

But for some reason, they gave it to me. And I will never lose it. I walked over and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked the same, but for the blue feather tucked into my bandana behind my ear. My farm was thriving, the island was prospering, everyone was happy. But something felt wrong. Missing. Life wasn't complete. And I knew why. There was one, single problem. Vaughn had been missing for a month. By now, he's considered dead. I walked away from the mirror and flopped on my bed.

"How can they have given up? He'll come back. He's Vaughn. He wouldn't die from that. Would he?" I lay there on my stomach, staring at Vaughn's hat. Browni came in through the doggie door, and jumped up onto my feet, licking my toes. I smiled a little, but it didn't last long.

_What to do…My crops are watered, my animals are cared for, and I went to visit the others. There's not really much left to do. And it's only…_

I glanced at my clock.

_1:30. Maybe I should go fishing…_

While I sat there, thinking about it, with Browni licking my toes, and started to get drowsy. "I guess I'll just take a nap for now…."

-The Next Morning-

"huh? What? Uggh….What time is it?"

I glanced over. 3:30 A.M.

"Gah, that's the problem with falling asleep mid-day. You wake up at some ungodly hour of the morning." I looked out the window overlooking my bed. The sun wasn't even up yet.

"What the heck. May as well get started." I headed outside with the watering can, ready to water the 2-dozen-something crops I have. (12)

I went back and forth, taking my time.

_After all, I have an extra 2 and a half hours today, and I never use all my time anyway. _

So I took my time, and finished around 4:20. Then I headed into the barn to take care of the animals. First, I put out fodder, as usual. Then I got my brush out of my rucksack, and began to brush-and talk to-my animals. I started with Foaly, my horse. "Hey there. Are you keeping your tail neat?" (13) Foaly neighed, and shook his head in that way horses have. I checked. His tail wasn't neat. As I gently worked at untangling it, I muttered

"I swear, sometimes I think you can understand me." Once I had finished with Foaly, I moved onto my other animals. My sheep, Cassandra and Vinyaya, and my cows, Opal and Shika. (14) Then I went over to the chicken coop. I grabbed a bag of feed and placed some of it in each compartment for my chickens. I smiled as they waddled over. I reached down and picked up each one of them, petting them and checking to make sure their feathers were clean. Once that was done, I headed back outside. It was about 6;00.

_Well, I guess I'd better head down to town...There's not much left to do, really. _

So yeah, I know you all hate me…But this is a tiny bit longer than normal (only a few hundred words), so I hope that at least makes up for it just a tiny bit. Just like, an inch out of the yards you guys must hate me.

Anyway, here:  
>(11)- Baaaaaad question, Julia.<p>

(12)- I'm sorry, it's just that I always have a ton of crops, so Chelsea does too.

(13)-I always imagine Chelsea as someone who talks to her animals. For that matter, so does Vaughn. But that's not the point.

(14)- Are there any Artemis Fowl fans reading this? Recognize some of those names? 

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